Geology of Yarobia
UNDER CONSTRUCTION This is a Featured Article. Yarobia, on the continent of Eggn-slug, comprises the northern Eggn-slug mainland (which, with an area of 70,820 km2, represents the majority of Yarobia), the island of Oyggan and various islands in the Fuddy Faze Straid and the Funy Fase Strait. It is bordered by the Kingdom of Slugger in the south, Doggär-Slug in the southwest, and Oinkland in the southeast. Despite its small size, Yarobia contains an enormous diversity of geological environments and features. Tectonic Setting Eggn-Slug lies upon the Rooen and Swisscheese plates, the boundary between which passes directly through Yarobia. Collision of the Rooen and Swisscheese plates in the Yarobiey exodus (0-200) resulted in the formation of a major orogenic belt throughout Eggn-slug, extending from the rocky coastline of Doggär-Slug to the Yarobian Wookamundra and the Oink Mountain Range of Yarobia and Oinkland. Today, these plates are largely inactive, although a volcanic hot-spot has developed south of Yarobia in Oinkland and is responsible for Da Volcanoe and geothermal features such as Mud Spaah and Lake C'Spang. Components Desert Approximately one quarter of Yarobia consists of sandy, infertile desert. This area, known as the Great Sphere, includes the Jubie Desert and several minor deserts. The sand consists mostly of allochthonous quartz, which is thought to be sourced from ancient felsic volcanics in Swisscheeseland and transported to the Great Sphere with the collision of the Rooen and Swisscheese plates. It also contains lesser but still significant amounts of weeoottite, with minor yarobite, amphiboles and magnetite. Mountains Mountainous terrain in Yarobia includes the Wookamundra in western Yarobia, Mt Dwarfzgedbanishedinn in southeastern Yarobia and the Oink Mountain range, which extends from eastern Yarobia into Oinkland. Most of Yarobia's mountains were formed during the orogenic event of the Yarobei exodus, while Mt Dwarfzgedbanishedinn is younger and appears related to the Oinkland hot-spot, recording a shift in the continental crust and position of the hot-spot relative to Eggn-slug. Volcanics Now-extinct ultramafic volcanism in Yarobia has almost entirely eroded to produce highly fertile soils in western Yarobia and Wassup Berjumbie. These soils host lush rainforest and grasslands. Coastal and Marine The northern and western borders of Yarobia are bounded by sea. They are flanked by semi-fertile sea sand in the Great Sphere (in some places forming enormous spodosols), and rocky cliffs in Slugen Bay and Wolf Harbour. The sea sand is made up of roughly 60% quartz, 20% plagioclase, 15% yarobite, 2% organic matter and 2% iron and iron-titanium oxides (including hematite, magnetite and ilmenite). Lacustrine and Riverine Lake Yair is a major body of water in central Yarobia. Fed by the River Sticks in Doggär-Slug, it has a capacity of over 380 km2. From Lake Yair, the River Sticks branches northerly into two meandering streams which cumulate in Lake Oinker and Hay Lake. The Fountain of Kiddie Milk, located in the middle of Lake Yair, is a geological curiosity of highly contentious origins. Sea Onar, in northeastern Yarobia, is a large Majeek salt lake. Cactus Lake, in southeastern Yarobia, is fed by streams in Oinkland. Isotopic evidence suggests that it also receives substantial groundwater input. Yarobic Minerals There exist several mineral species found exclusively in Yarobia. Amongst the best known and most abundant are those which incorporate Yarobium (Yr) into their lattices. The most common of these Yr-bearing minerals is weeoottite (also known as Calcium Yarobate), with a chemical formula CaYrO4, typically tetragonal crystal system and granular form. Weeoottite can also (but less commonly) be columnar, tabular or massive in habit and when extremely large crystals grow, they take on a dipyramidal pseudo-octahedral structure. One of the most common components of the Jubie Desert, Weeoottite is gold with a metallic lustre, colouring the sand of the desert golden. Weeoottite is mainly used in yarobium extraction, and is the main source of yarobium on the planet. Yarobite (also known as iron manganese yarobate), another common Yr ore, has the chemical formula (Fe,Mn)YrO4. Yarobite forms tabular to short prismistic crystals, and has a monoclinic crystal system. Weggite, the crystalline form of kiddy milk, has a chemical composition (KI)6Dy(GaS)2 and trigonal-hexagonal crystal system. Weggite is soft and pale yellow in colour with a milky lustre, and occurs only on the banks of Lake Yair. It is formed by the reaction of fresh kiddy milk with the water of Lake Yair and its subsequent dehydration. Weggite was discovered by geologist Chumpley Weggson, after whom it is named. Weggite mostly finds applications in the field of Majeek, where it is used as a Majeekan semi-conductor, meaning Majeek flow can only exist in one direction. Because of its Dysprosium content, Weggite is also paramagnetic when cooled below approximately 179°K (‒94.15℃). It is sometimes used to treat Iodine deficiency in Yarobes. Dromedite has a trigonal-hexagonal crystal system and the unlikely chemical composition YArOBe. The crystals occur as soft, "hairy" epitaxial overgrowths on Yttrium-bearing minerals after prolonged exposure to googas. Dromedite is named for its resemblance to a dromedare's hump. Mining in Yarobia Weeoottite, yarobite and other Yr ores are mined extensively across Yarobia, particularly in the Jubie Desert. Sand quarries also operate in the Jubie Desert and are an important source of construction material for much of Eggn-slug. A small mine deep within Mt Dwarfzged recovers precious metals and minerals including gold and rubies. The largest mining firm in Yarobia is owned by the rich TortemPan resident Chive Parmigiana, along with his clone/female counterpart, Gener Minehart. Their mining company, Yarock Prospecting, is responsible for several large mines south of Yaroben. Between them, they also own several million shares in the company that produces respectable newspapers (including The Yarobe Times, and Yarobia TODAY), Franklins Media. The Sea Onar, in the past, has been mined for Majeek Salt, however this was terminated due to a cultural uproar in which several hundred thousands of Yarobes marched onto the dry salt lake in protest. Category:Featured Articles